Best Deals on Laptops, Chromebooks, and Tablets
These are the best sales on highly rated devices from CR's testing
By Samantha B. Gordon
If you’re searching for a laptop, Chromebook, tablet, or computer right now, you may be able to find one at a discount. Amazon’s Prime sale, and the sitewide sales at Walmart, Best Buy, and Target are now over, but we’re still seeing some great prices as we head into the holiday shopping season. Consumer Reports will be keeping track of all the best deals on the best products throughout the season, so bookmark our Deals hub now and check back often for the latest.
No matter what kind of device you’re looking for, it can be hard to find the best offers on laptops, Chromebooks, tablets, and other tech accessories. That’s particularly true because you can’t just look at the sale price: The quality of the product you buy makes all the difference. We’re constantly combing through the sales and Consumer Reports’ test results to help you find deals that will actually be worth your money.
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Chromebooks
HP 14A-NA0023CL
This 14-inch Chromebook from HP is good for people who simply need a functional laptop to do things like browse the web and check email. It has an Intel Celeron processor, 4 gigabytes of memory, and 32GB of flash storage. As with other Chromebooks, the idea is that you’re going to be storing most files online. It scores okay in our tests, with our testers noting somewhat middling performance but highlighting its 13-hour battery life while browsing the web.
Why it’s a good deal: This is a significant discount on an already budget-priced laptop, only $20 more than the lowest price we’ve seen all year.
Asus Chromebook C536EA-BI3T3
The Asus Chromebook C536EA-BI3T3 has one of the fastest processing speeds among the Chromebooks we’ve tested. The battery life is below average in our web-browsing tests at 9.75 hours, and the 4.3-pound weight makes it less portable than other models. But the convertible form factor allows you to fold it into tent mode for watching videos.
Why it’s a good deal: This is a significant discount if you’re looking for a Chromebook with fast processing speeds.
HP Chromebook 13C-CA0013DX x360
This HP Chromebook 13C-CA0013DX x360 has an impressive battery life, lasting 16.75 hours in our web browsing tests. It’s an excellent choice for keeping up on work while out traveling, with its lower-than-average weight of just 2.8 pounds. It’s also a touchscreen, convertible model for added versatility.
Why it’s a good deal: This model originally retailed for close to $1,000, making Walmart’s price the most impressive we’ve seen.
Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5
The 13-inch Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 lands in the middle of the pack among models CR has tested. Its processing speeds are midrange compared with other Chromebooks, while its battery life is below average at 11.5 hours of web browsing. In addition to the touchscreen display, this model has a built-in microSD card slot for expanding the storage beyond its internal 64 gigabytes.
Why it’s a good deal: A $50 discount is substantial for this machine. We did see it selling for $250 recently, though, so maybe keep an eye on it to see if the price falls again later.
Laptops
HP Victus 16
This 16.1-inch HP Victus 16 laptop has performance speeds that challenge some of the fastest-rated models in our tests, including for graphics-intensive tasks like gaming and editing media. It has an Intel Core i7 processor, 16 gigabytes of RAM, a 512GB solid state drive, and a Nvidia Geforce RTX 3060 graphics card with 6GB of dedicated memory. Its battery life should last you through most of a workday.
Why it’s a good deal: This is a fairly modest discount, but it’s still a decent savings if you’re looking for an impressive gaming laptop.
LG Gram 17 (2021)
The 2021 LG Gram 17 can be a great option if you’re looking for a lightweight machine that can still perform. Its web browsing and video playback battery life is one of the longest of all the models CR has tested, a feat you don’t often see on 17-inch laptops. It has a solid state drive that can load up Windows and large programs quickly, and the large 2 terabytes of storage space is great for local backups. While not the best choice for gaming, it does have fast speeds that can handle complex spreadsheets and videoconferencing.
Why it’s a good deal: A more than $300 discount is definitely worth considering if you need a workhorse of a laptop.
LG UltraPC 15
The 15.6-inch LG UltraPC 15 has performance speeds that are faster than average to perform demanding tasks, including gaming. Its battery life is above average at 15.5 hours in web browsing tests. The display scores highly as well.
Why it’s a good deal: A 17 percent discount can make a big difference to your wallet.
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go (64GB)
Microsoft has several Surface devices to choose from, but the relatively inexpensive Microsoft Surface Laptop Go could be a good option for consumers looking for a smaller laptop, especially at this hefty discount. It has a 12.4-inch display, an Intel Core i5 processor, 4 gigabytes of memory, and a sparse 64GB solid state drive, which you can supplement with cloud storage.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go scores well in many of our tests, though the performance is a bit sluggish compared with other options. The model is lightweight (2.5 pounds), offers decent battery life (just under 12 hours in CR’s web-browsing test), and has a bright, color-accurate display. There’s a touchscreen for flipping through those photo galleries.
Why it’s a good deal: This is the best discount we’ve ever seen for this model, beating the previous low price by $13.
Tablets
Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 (128GB) Wi-Fi
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite is our top recommendation for the average person who wants a budget-priced Android tablet, making it especially good for students. The screen looks good, and the device will handle just about any task unless you’re playing a graphics-heavy game or doing something like editing video. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite also delivers solid battery life, lasting just over 12 hours in our web-browsing tests.
Why it’s a good deal: This is a middling discount for this model. The sale price of this tablet usually swings between $280 and $350, so it could drop again.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
The Galaxy Tab S7 Plus is a solid option if you’re looking for a tablet. It aces CR’s tests for performance, convenience, and versatility. And the Samsung brand gets great scores for predicted reliability and owner satisfaction in our member surveys. The tablet boasts impressive speeds for everyday tasks as well as 128 gigabytes of storage and a bright screen with a wide viewing angle. Our testers found it easy to use.
Why it’s a good deal: This tablet is still at a decent discount. It was about $80 recently and may get cheaper again closer to Black Friday.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 (128 GB, Wifi)
The Galaxy Tab S8 is a great option for people who want an Android tablet with high performance. Just keep in mind that top performance isn’t necessary for simple tasks such as reading email, watching movies, and surfing the web. The Galaxy Tab S7 is also on sale if you need a fast device but want something a little cheaper.
Why it’s a good deal: This is back to the best price we’ve seen all year.
Wireless Routers
Google Nest Wifi (3-pack)
The Google Nest WiFi three-pack provides decent all-around performance, scoring well for throughput at near- and medium-range distances. It may fall a bit short in large homes, though, and it’s “only” WiFi 5 compatible. But at this price, it’s hard to complain.
Why it’s a good deal: This router system typically retails for $350, making this an impressive deal.
Netgear Nighthawk AX8 AX6600 (RAX70-100NAS)
If you don’t need (or want) a multi-router mesh setup, this single-unit WiFi 6 model from Netgear should be near the top of your list. It aced our throughput tests at all distances and was easy to set up via a smartphone app or an old-school, web-based wizard.
There’s automatic firmware updating to keep your data safe, plus four Ethernet ports and one USB port for connecting peripherals.
Why it’s a good deal: This is a substantial discount for this model, and it’s dropped about $7 since Monday.
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